0417 Indirect Effect of Sleep Attitudes on Sleep Duration and Quality Via Arousal Behaviors. (12th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruggiero, Aria R; Peach, Hannah D; Zendels, Philip; Gaultney, Jane F
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 42(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A169
• Page End: A169
• Publication Date: 2019-04-12
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz067.416
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Sleep attitudes are psychological tendencies expressing favor or disfavor over activities or entities as compared to sleep. Previous literature has reported an indirect relationship between sleep attitudes and sleep hygiene for sleep outcomes, but has not looked at components of sleep hygiene (Arousal, Eating, Environment, and Time) as potential indirect pathways. Methods: Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk, 173 adult participants (Mage = 32.97, SDage = 10.00; 69.36% minority, 58.38% male) self-reported sleep quality and duration, separately for weeknights and weekends, using modified questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989). Averages were calculated using weighted duration and quality ((5*weeknight+2*weekend)/7). Participants also completed the Charlotte Attitudes Towards Sleep scale (Peach & Gaultney, 2017) and the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (Lin et al., 2009). Higher scores indicated more sleep hygiene problems, worse sleep quality, longer sleep duration, and more positive attitudes towards sleep. A path analysis examined whether sleep attitudes predicted sleep outcomes via an indirect route through one or more of the four components of sleep hygiene. Results: Sleep attitudes significantly predicted all sleep hygiene behavior components, while arousal was the only component of sleep hygiene demonstrating direct associations with sleep outcomes. Sleep attitudes indirectly predicted both quality and duration via arousal behaviors. The pattern was most clear for sleep quality and showed a stronger association compared to duration. Conclusion: These data suggest that sleep hygiene arousal behaviors (e.g. activities that increase anxiety or are associated with wakefulness) are one mechanism by which attitudes are associated with sleep outcomes, especially quality. Sleep attitudes could an important component of an intervention for patients with insomnia, who often have high cognitive arousal before bed and low sleep quality. The data may also indicate that the other elements of sleep hygiene (time allocated for sleeping, pre-bedtime eating behaviors and sleep environment) are less controllable by individuals, while engaging in arousal behaviors are more volitional, and therefore more influenced by attitudes. Support (If Any): Psychological Sciences departmental funding